Eating out isn’t always more expensive than cooking at home. Some meals, especially when ingredients are costly or portions are generous, can actually be cheaper at restaurants. These examples show when dining out may save both time and money.
This content is for general information only. Prices and availability vary by location, restaurant, and time.
1. Pizza Margherita
Making proper pizza requires special flour, fresh mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes, and ideally, a pizza stone or steel. These ingredients add up quickly when bought in small quantities.
Meanwhile, many pizzerias offer basic Margheritas for £5-£8, using ingredients they've purchased at wholesale prices.
2. Sushi Rolls
Fancy making California rolls at home? You'll need sushi-grade rice, nori sheets, fresh fish, a bamboo mat, and proper knives – all quite dear when purchased for just one meal.
Budget sushi chains offer basic rolls for as little as £1-£2 each, making it far more economical to eat out.
3. French Fries
Restaurant chips benefit from commercial deep fryers and wholesale potato prices. Making proper chips at home means buying litres of oil, which is pricey even before considering the electricity cost.
Fast food outlets sell chips for £1-£2, while the oil alone for home frying could cost £3-£5 per batch.
4. Eggs Benedict
The classic brunch favourite involves several components: English muffins, ham, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce. The sauce alone requires butter, egg yolks, and lemon juice – ingredients that often go partially unused.
Cafés can charge £7-£10 for Eggs Benedict while still making a profit, suggesting the home economics don't add up.
5. Pad Thai
Authentic Pad Thai needs tamarind paste, fish sauce, rice noodles, and palm sugar – ingredients that aren't everyday staples in British kitchens. When bought specifically for one dish, they're quite dear.
Meanwhile, Thai restaurants can whip up this noodle dish for £7-£9, using ingredients they already stock in bulk.
6. Fried Chicken
Southern-style fried chicken requires buttermilk, special seasoning blends, and gallons of oil for proper deep-frying. The equipment and ingredients represent a significant investment for home cooks.
Fast food chains offer multi-piece meals for £5-£7, while making comparable portions at home could easily cost double that amount.
7. Pho
Vietnamese beef noodle soup demands hours of simmering bones for broth, plus star anise, cinnamon, and other spices. The lengthy cooking process uses considerable energy, adding to the overall cost.
Vietnamese restaurants offer large bowls for £8-£11, which seems reasonable when you consider the time and ingredients needed to replicate it.
8. Croissants
Making proper French croissants involves laminating dough with expensive European butter through multiple folding and chilling cycles. The process is not only technically challenging but also requires premium ingredients.
Bakeries sell fresh croissants for £1-£2 each, while the butter alone for a homemade batch could cost £3-£4.
9. Soft Pretzels
Authentic soft pretzels require food-grade lye for that distinctive crust – a specialized ingredient that's both expensive and potentially dangerous to use at home. The technique also demands practice to master.
Mall pretzel shops sell these treats for £2-£3 each, while setting up for homemade versions could cost significantly more per pretzel.
10. Ice Cream
Making proper ice cream requires an ice cream maker, which costs £30-£100. Then you'll need cream, vanilla pods, and other premium ingredients that aren't cheap.
Meanwhile, supermarkets sell decent ice cream for £2-£5 per tub, and even artisanal scoop shops charge just £2-£3 per generous portion.
11. Dim Sum
Those delicate Chinese dumplings require specialized ingredients like dumpling wrappers, bamboo steamers, and fillings ranging from shrimp to exotic mushrooms. The technique takes years to perfect.
Dim sum restaurants offer individual pieces for £3-£5 per basket, using economies of scale that home cooks simply can't match.
12. Roast Duck
A whole duck costs £15-£20 at supermarkets, and that's before adding special glazes and accompaniments. The rendered fat makes a mess that's time-consuming to clean up.
Chinese restaurants offer quarter portions of roast duck for £7-£9, making it more economical to buy just what you need rather than a whole bird.
13. Fresh Spring Rolls
Vietnamese fresh spring rolls require rice paper wrappers, rice vermicelli, and numerous fresh herbs like Thai basil and mint. Buying all these ingredients for just a few rolls means most will go unused.
Vietnamese restaurants charge £4-£6 for several fresh rolls, using ingredients they already stock for multiple dishes.
14. Gyoza Dumplings
Japanese pan-fried dumplings need special wrappers, ground meat, and a mix of vegetables and seasonings. The technique for pleating and cooking them properly takes practice.
Japanese restaurants offer plates of 5-6 gyoza for £5-£7, using ingredients bought in bulk and prepared by skilled chefs who can make hundreds efficiently.
15. Chicken Wings
Buffalo-style wings require proper deep-frying and special sauce ingredients like Frank's RedHot and butter. The oil alone for proper frying can cost more than ordering out.
Pubs and sports bars offer wing specials for as little as 50p per wing, especially during happy hours or sports events, making home preparation comparatively expensive.
